Seventeen years ago this month, Bob Marley died. Everyone knows Bob Marley. A copy of “Legend” is now issued to every infant in the world at birth.
He died of cancer. His Wikipedia page says it started from a football injury in his big toe. Toe cancer. Usually treatable. You don’t want to lose a toe, but if it saves your life, you have the thing off.
But Marley refused to amputate because of the Rastafarian belief that the body must be “whole”. And so the cancer spread to his brain and the rest of his body, and killed him. A religious belief robbed the world of one of its great musical artists.
Maybe it’s not possible to separate Marley’s music from the religious ideas that fired it. I’m not sure, though. Aren’t the songs without the religious lyrics great too? Marijuana influenced Marley’s music, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a great thing.
Marley’s action would probably impress a lot of people. Wow, he really followed his religion, even though it cost him his life, etc. But I just think it’s really sad. If he’d had a different religion, he could have had it taken care of, and been around a lot longer. What ended his life was an idea that was almost certainly false, and that seems wrong.
27 May 2008 at 6:56 am
Don’t know much about Rasta religion, but I’d have to assume that the ‘wholeness’ means that the body is preferred to be ‘whole’ and animated than to being dead? Can’t see how dead and not able to sanctify the big fella’s name (especially on such a large platform)is better than slightly not ‘whole’ but alive and able to proselytize.
This speaks to many ex-JW’s misgivings with not acceptng blood transfusions. Blood is the life force (apparently)and it is unclean to accept from others, so instead if there are no blood alternatives you die (a death kinda like that scene in Austin Powers when the security guard is run over by the truck that was a good 30 yards away from him…think about it). So blood is more important than life (which was supposed to be a gift from God, and protected, bit I digress) and the happiness of those who lose a loved one. Not a god I wanna play Canasta with.
27 May 2008 at 3:46 pm
“What ended his life was an idea that was almost certainly false, and that seems wrong.”
ALMOST certainly false?
27 May 2008 at 10:44 pm
I saw Bob Marley in 1976. Just boasting cos I can.
5 March 2009 at 9:33 pm
pbn
5 March 2009 at 9:34 pm
los polbos rifan k tranza
11 November 2009 at 10:46 pm
people. why r we arguin bout religion????????? it was his religion nt yours. REST IN PEACE BOB MARLEY!!!!!!!!!!!
5 December 2009 at 2:42 pm
Peace to the man above!!! Bob Marley, rest in peace, the man, the legend, the prophet
14 July 2012 at 8:15 pm
stupid guy . rasta religion is really dangerous
21 April 2016 at 11:16 am
Seventeen years ago in 2008? No, try again. He died in 1981.